1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an industrial truck, such as a counterweight fork-lift truck, having a vehicle frame that comprises a frame portion configured to receive a battery block and upper and lateral frame openings. The lateral frame opening can be covered by a door that can be pivoted about a substantially vertical axis.
2. Technical Considerations
A generic industrial truck is shown in DE 101 45 991 A1. In this industrial truck, the battery block can be removed upwardly by a loading gear from the frame portion, namely through the upper frame opening. As an alternative to this, it is also possible to open the side door and remove the battery block laterally to change the battery. Owing to the openings in the frame portion, both laterally and at the top, it is difficult to construct the vehicle frame of the generic industrial truck so that it deforms as little as a vehicle frame which only has a single battery removal opening. Vibrations and elastic displacements within the vehicle frame can occur, for example, when a vehicle with the rear-side counterweight collides with an obstacle while maneuvering.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an industrial truck of the general type mentioned above but in which the vehicle frame has improved stability.